The Fowke Recital Prize

The Downside Performing Arts Department would like to invite parents to attend the annual Fowke Recital Prize evening, which takes place on Thursday 13 February 2025 from 7pm in the Fleischner Theatre at Downside School. 

The Recital Prize is designed to stretch our most able musicians, and is open to entrants in sixth form of grade 7 or above. The 5 candidates include 3 singers, a cellist and an oboist. Each candidate will perform a short recital of up to 15 minutes, followed by an adjudication and the award of the Fowke Recital Prize. 

This year, we are delighted to welcome Philip Fowke as our adjudicator. Philip attended Downside School as a boy before going on to attend the Royal Academy of Music. As an international concert pianist, he is well-known for his many BBC Promenade Concert appearances, numerous recordings and broad range of repertoire, and he has appeared in many of the major concert halls worldwide with leading conductors including Vladimir Ashkenazy and Sir Simon Rattle. He has also had a distinguished teaching career as a professor at the Royal Academy, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Royal Northern College of Music.  He is widely acclaimed for his imaginative teaching in which he explores students’ potential, encouraging them to develop their own individuality and to find ways of practising effectively and economically. We are extremely fortunate that he is returning to Downside to inspire and encourage our pupils. 

Free entry, no tickets required. Doors open from 6.30pm, and there will be a cash bar available in the theatre foyer.